Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

Yu Fei's group returned from Asia at the beginning of September.

By that time, there were only a few days left in the off-season, and Yu Fei made minor adjustments before preparing for the new season.

On the other side, the incident in Eagle County continued to ferment its influence on Kobe off the court.

Firstly, Kobe broke ties with his long-time agent Arne Trem, and soon started working with Rob Pelinka.

This hit Trem hard, as Kobe was the client he had invested the most effort in.

The result was a sudden separation.

Then, Yu Fei jokingly told Trem that if he didn't put more focus on him, he might also have a sudden contract dissolution.

Although it was a joke, with Kobe's precedent, Trem didn't dare to take the risk. From then on, Trem called Yu Fei every day. While he couldn't be meticulous to every detail, he indeed looked after Yu Fei with the attention due to a superstar.

Kobe, despite teaming up with a new agent, couldn't regain the affection of sponsors.

As Kobe's contract with Adidas expired at the same time, and Kobe, who also planned to switch to Nike, found the Eagle County incident had tarnished his image overnight.

For Nike, as long as Kobe didn't end up in jail, it was certain that signing him now would pay off in the end.

Because not going to jail equaled Kobe being innocent.

If Kobe was innocent, then he would just be another athlete unfaithful to his wife. The public didn't care much about such things, and if there really were moral scrutiny, Jordan wouldn't have to wait for Yu Fei to come settle the score and would go straight to hell.

The summer of 2003 in the NBA revolved around Kobe in every way. How effortlessly he carried himself in Eagle County, the impact on the Lakers' internal dynamics when he said in custody "Shaq did it too," and whether the F4 juggernaut could achieve the planned 75 wins and the championship.

The day before the preseason training camp began, Yu Fei returned to Milwaukee and reflected on his summer that night.

Although the trip to Asia was a bit wild and unrestrained, from the perspective of rest and relaxation, he got what he wanted.

The intense training with Tim Grover didn't make Yu Fei feel anything unusual in the first month, but as the training went deeper, he could feel changes in his body.

Yu Fei felt lighter and could summon more strength when he made his moves.

Hearing his feedback, Grover mysteriously smiled and said, "You'll only know how much you've changed when you're completely exhausted in a game."

Yu Fei couldn't help thinking of the plot from "Slam Dunk," where Takehiko Inoue often arranged for prominent figures outside the game to say Sakuragi's movements looked just like they were at the start of the match during the closing stages.

Yu Fei wondered if Grover was referring to the same thing.

"Maintain abundant energy all the way to the end of a game? That's impossible," Grover said enigmatically. "The sensation is indescribable, and you'll soon experience it."

A day later, Yu Fei arrived promptly at the training camp to report.

When George Karl saw that Yu Fei was still in robust shape without any signs of becoming overweight, and looked energetic, he nodded in satisfaction, saying, "It seems you're not the type who gets complacent with a little success."

A little success?

This was a success you only barely achieved after striving from the 80s, and you call it "a little"?

"What's considered a big success?" Yu Fei asked.

Karl replied as if it were self-evident, "Winning another one."

Indeed, nobody was satisfied with just one win; fortunately, Yu Fei felt the same.

However, the team's situation wasn't as optimistic as Yu Fei had thought.

As soon as Yu Fei arrived, he saw Mason bullying the rookies.

"Rookie, run 10 laps if you miss this shot!" Mason snarled at Haslem, then ordered Pachulia to fetch him some water.

Pachulia did as told, while Haslem felt troubled about shooting from beyond the three-point line.

He was a Miamian who grew up watching Alonzo Mourning play; for him, three-pointers were practically a symbol of softness.

Although Mason was not easily provoked, Haslem had his principles.

He tossed the ball to Mason, saying, "I can't do it."

"Can't do it?" Mason bellowed, "If you can't, then get lost! Big Fei doesn't need a big man who can't shoot threes!"

Yu Fei couldn't stand it any longer, "How can someone who never shoots threes say that?"

Mason, seeing it was Yu Fei, immediately grinned, "Yo, back from vacation? Don't be quick to judge me, go to the locker room and see for yourself, they're about to fight."

"Who and who?"

"The two who can shoot from the furthest!"

Just the essentials indeed!

Yu Fei consequently left Haslem's issue aside.

Mason gradually dropped his smile and turned back to Haslem, "You don't want to shoot threes?"

"No threes."

"Then get lost!"

"You have no right to do this."

"If you don't shoot threes and still want to stay on this team, then you'll have to be a dog!" Mason said, "Do you know whose dog you need to be?"

Haslem easily gave the answer, "Frye?"

"Exactly!"

What Haslem didn't say was: like you from last season?

"But you have to know, it's easy to be a dog, but it's not easy to be a good dog!" Mason, a seasoned veteran, shared his experience without reservation, "A good dog can't be self-conscious, understand? If you're a dog, you can't consider yourself human anymore. Whatever Big Fei tells you to do, you do it—that's a dog. But if you do things before Big Fei commands you to, that's a good dog! If you choose to be a dog, then your fate is tied to his! You rise when he rises, and if he falls, you crawl for me! Got it?"

Haslem nodded, his expression serious as he said, "Sounds easier than shooting threes." Find exclusive stories on empire

Hearing this, Mason laughed again, seeing potential for teaching.

Encouraging Haslem to practice threes was merely a test. What's so great about shooting threes? Players like Ratner, who can only shoot threes, are easily replaceable. The real good dogs are priceless.

This rookie has potential; he's promising.

At first, Yu Fei really thought Ray Allen and Michael Redd had come to blows. But then he reconsidered, and something didn't seem right. If those two had actually fought, would Karl be so carefree to wander outside?

It wasn't until Yu Fei entered the locker room that he understood the situation.

Redd had taken over Ray Allen's locker.

This matter wouldn't amount to anything for any other players except Yu Fei and Ray Allen.

It's just a locker, right? However, the order of lockers largely determined one's status within the team. Yu Fei inherited Glenn Robinson's locker, so by default, he was assumed to be Robinson's successor.

Naturally, Ray Allen didn't acknowledge that.

But this time, Redd had reported to the training camp a day early and then took Ray Allen's locker. Normally, Ray Allen's locker didn't symbolize anything in the team, but no one would touch it because the man has OCD and could get pissed off at the drop of a hat.

After Ray Allen arrived at the training camp, he indeed erupted in anger. Redd hurriedly claimed it was a misunderstanding. The situation subsided, but a comment from Ratner made the atmosphere between the two tense, "Who knows if it was a misunderstanding or a test?"

"Sounds like Chris has a lot of experience in this area?" Yu Fei stored his belongings and went to find Ray Allen on the court.

However, Redd kept insisting the misunderstanding had been resolved.

So Yu Fei could only continue observing.

A few days later, Yu Fei could almost be sure that Redd had set his sights on a starting position.

That wasn't hard to understand.

In last season's finals, especially games five and six, as a starter and Yu Fei's strong support, Ray Allen was severely drained by the Spurs on offense, performing very poorly, while Redd, as a surprise weapon off the bench, delivered when it mattered.

After thinking it over all summer, Redd naturally felt he deserved a more important role.

But if Redd and Ray Allen's positions in the finals were swapped, if he had to face the Spurs' tough defense, could he still perform like that? Yu Fei was skeptical.

Could Redd handle the responsibility of a second main offensive role and maintain a 44% three-point percentage if given enough tactical status? Yu Fei didn't think he was capable.

Regardless of what Yu Fei thought, Redd was surely going to challenge Ray Allen.

This episode, Yu Fei had seen with the 2022-23 Warriors Team.

Although Yu Fei didn't know if the Bucks would end up like that Warriors team, he knew that after going in circles, they were back to where they started.

A new season, a new beginning—it's not an empty phrase.

The chemistry they had formed in the second half of the last season had been diluted by the championship and the summer. Although the main rotation was still there, a team with the same members but not the same heart is a completely different team.

Several days later, the Bucks welcomed many media outlets on media day.

Marc Stein, an ESPN reporter with whom Yu Fei had a deep collaboration, visited the Bucks' training camp again after a year.

Yu Fei gave him an exclusive interview once more.

"How important was last season's championship to you?"

Stein started with a simple question.

"There's nothing on the court that can compare to that championship," Yu Fei replied.

Stein asked another question, "What do you think you need to do to cross the finish line again this year?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Yu Fei said, "But I'm very clear that defending a title turns us from challengers to the challenged. All teams aiming for the championship will study and target us, so winning a second championship will definitely be tougher than the first."

During a break in the interview, Stein suddenly joked, "You don't seem absolutely confident about defending the title. Do you need me to give you some motivation?"

Yu Fei looked at him curiously.

"A few days ago..." Stein said, "MJ made comments at a charity event in his hometown saying you guys really should retire his jersey. If it weren't for him sending you to such a good team, you wouldn't have had the chance to win a championship. You're lucky that OK broke up last season. But luck always runs out, and now it has. The Lakers F4 are going to destroy you."

Yu Fei's gaze turned as sharp as a sword in an instant, "Did he really say that?"

"Not his exact words," Stein admitted, "But that was the gist."

"OK..." Yu Fei pursed his lips, Stein could see he was incensed, yet he showed no sign of losing his composure and simply repeated the initials, "OK."